It seems like pickup trucks are continuously getting bigger every year, and the statistics do seem to indicate that this trend is occurring. A pickup truck today is around 1,300 pounds heavier than a pickup truck in 1990. Some modern trucks are around 7,000 pounds, which is about the weight of three small passenger cars, like the Honda Civic.
In other words, a truck today is massive compared to pickup trucks of years past, and that’s a problem for everyone else on the road.
Weight differences
For one thing, height and weight differences between vehicles can play a major role in determining how severe the accident is. If one vehicle is substantially larger than the other, people in the smaller vehicle are much more likely to have serious or fatal injuries. Having so many oversized pickup trucks on the road means that everyone else is in greater danger of being killed in a potential accident.
Blind spot issues
But there’s another problem with the size of these vehicles, which is that they create major blind spots. Some of these trucks are so tall that children and even short adults wouldn’t come up to the level of the hood. A pickup driver at an intersection wouldn’t be able to see someone in the crosswalk. There can also be massive blind spots to the sides, which are a risk for cyclists and motorcyclists.
At the end of the day, these oversized pickup trucks are more difficult to drive and more dangerous when they are involved in an accident. Those who have been injured in these crashes need to know about the options they have to seek financial compensation.